The Burden of a Broken Road
by katiekat784
Summary: What happens when the serial killer is living in your own home? JJ's neice, Katelyn Jareau knows all about that.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize**._

___**Warning: Deals with mature themes (Rape, Sexual, Physical Abuse etc...)**_

**Chapter 1**

My fingers drummed against the cool metal table as I waited for the woman to say something, again. Finally, I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Are you going to say something?" I asked trying unsuccessfully, to keep the aggravation out of my voice.

She looked at me for a while longer before she said, "How long has it been going on?"

I knew that the question was coming and for a moment, I considered telling her the truth about what happened.

_Come on Katelyn; remember what happened the last time you told someone? _The little voice in my head asked.

So, just like all of the other times people asked I played dumb except, it was harder to do this time. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She tried again. "Where's your father, Katelyn?"

"He's my step father and he's in hell, if I'm lucky but I'm usually not. Like I told you before, I have no clue where he is and I'm glad that he's missing," I told the dark haired lady irritated that she wouldn't believe me.

"I understand that this is hard for you but-" she started and I stopped her by laughing humourlessly.

"You lived in those fancy, massive ten bedroom homes. You had maids and butlers, the best clothes and education that money could buy. Your parents may not have always been there for you but they still cared about you. So, with all due respect Agent Prentiss, no, you don't understand, at all," I ranted to her, not really caring about what I was saying or about the look on her face.

"I know my rights, if I'm not being charged then I may leave. Am I correct?" I asked still fuming.

"Yes you're correct," she told me baffled about my outburst.

I was at the door when I turned and said, "Oh, a friend of mine knows your mother."

"_Mom, I'm home" I said as I closed the door._

"_Mom, Casey," I called out again._

"_Guys, this isn't funny, answer me, please." When no reply came I went searching for them._

_Suddenly, I heard a scream and I ran to where the sound was coming from, the basement. I hesitated for a second before going down. After all it was Jim, my step father's sanctuary and he never let Casey or me down there. I was expecting anything but what I saw. Whips, dog collars, knifes and so many other things that I don't even want to think about._

_That's when I saw my mother on the wall, gagged, bound with chains and bleeding out to death._

I woke up; tangled in the sheets of the temporary foster house I was staying in. Beads of sweat poured down my face and down my already soaked top. I blinked a few times, trying to get the image out of my head. All that I heard was the sound of blood pumping through my ears and the loud thump of my heart in my heaving chest. It took a while before my rapid, shallow breathing became normal again. I got up weakly and went outside. I was undisturbed, at least, for a while.

I heard the screen door close. "Whoever you are, go away."

"Don't worry I won't bother you. I also do this, after a nightmare." The voice sounded like a young girl.

I turned around and sure enough, the girl looked eleven or twelve.

She held her hand out for me. "I'm Elizabeth; you can call me Liz or Lizzie. Really it doesn't matter, except, most people call me Liz."

"Look Liz, Lizzie, whoever you are, I want to be alone and you're bothering me," I told her, it may have been rude but I really wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

Her smile faded. "I'm going to assume that you're usually that straightforward, take that the best way I can and go somewhere else."

I shivered but not from the cold, a flashback took over my body. It was the day that started this disaster.

_It was hotter than usual for the middle of May but I didn't mind. Walking home in that weather was always nice. I passed by the park with a small smile. I loved the quiet but the sound of the younger kids' laughter helped remind me that there's still joy in this cruel world. I got to hear birds chirp from the high tree tops as I walked through the makeshift forest we had in my neighbourhood, to me it was peaceful._

_Unlike a lot of my peers, I found it wonderful to just have peace and quiet especially after a hectic day of school. While most teenagers prefer to go out shopping at the mall or somewhere bustling with people, I would much rather sit at home curled up to slow music, a dying fire and a good book._

_I reached my house and saw two cars parked in the driveway. One of them was my mother's the other one I didn't know who it belong to. Usually, I wouldn't think anything of it except, my mother wasn't supposed to be back from her trip to Santa Barbra until tomorrow._

_She must've come back early,__I assumed._

"_Mom?" I called out as I entered__the house._

"_Yes, I'm over here sweetheart." I followed her voice that lead into the kitchen and I saw the one face that I really was not expecting._

"_Aunt Jay?" I said, clearly confused._

_You see my aunt Jennifer or as most people call her JJ only visits once every year or two. After all she has her own family._

"_Why are you here?" I asked sharply and I could have sworn that I saw my mother cringe a little._

_It wouldn't be the first time. I thought to myself. I find that if you don't get to the point of things then you're wasting breath and air over useless chitchat._

_Luckily, she just shook her head and chuckled a bit as she turned to look at my mother. "Oh yes Elisa, she's still the same Katelyn that I remember."_

"_So, what are you doing here?" I asked, again._

_My aunt and mother looked at each other before my aunt answered. "I'm here with my team."_

_I raised my eyebrows, "So, there's a serial killer here. Great, just freaking great, that's exactly what this town needs," I said sarcastically._

_My mother and aunt JJ shared a troubled glance and I knew that there was something else, something that they weren't telling me._

_**AN: I'm reposting this story. I want to say thank you to Whitewolf for helping me in this chapter and to Miss E for not thinking I'm crazy and taking the time to read and correct this story. Thanks to everybody else who's reading it and it would mean a lot to me if you review. **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's familiar.**_

_**Words: 1079**_

_**Warning: Deals with mature themes (Rape, Sexual, Physical Abuse etc...)**_

_**Chapter 2**_

It was starting to rain but I didn't mind. I always liked the rain, it seemed to sooth me. I don't know if it's because of the coolness and moistness of the air, or the soft pitter-patter of the droplets that crash down everywhere. Whatever it was, it seemed to be the only thing that could put my mind to ease at times like this.

That's when I decided to walk around. I ended up at a park. I sat on a swing and looked to see that the streets were deserted.

I closed my eyes and I heard Casey's voice perfectly, well her voice before the events.

"Where is everyone? Where did they all go?" Her lips would make the cute, little pout they did when she was confused.

"Casey, it's almost five in the morning. I think that everybody's still sleeping. Well, that and the fact that it's raining," I'd tell her in my best big, older sister voice.

I could see her trying to hide her face in her curly, red hair and I could see how her cheeks would flush a light pink because of her pale skin. "Oh, oops."

I smiled and laughed to myself while still closing my eyes, knowing that once I opened them the image would be gone and I'd have to face reality. However, keeping my eyes closed was a mistake because that little scene was gone and replaced with another one.

_"There's something you're not telling me. What is it?" I questioned._

_"Don't worry about it, sweetheart" my mother responded._

_"Where's Jim?" I asked, irritated that they were holding something back from me._

_"Katelyn, shouldn't you be doing your homework?" It wasn't really a question, more like a demand from my aunt._

_"I finished all of it at school. Where's Jim?" I asked again._

_"He's being questioned" my aunt finally answered._

_My mother grunted in disapproval. "Jen."_

_"No, thank you Aunt Jay, at least someone tells me the truth," I said with annoyance._

_At that moment, Aunt Jay's phone rang. She got up and went in the other room to answer it, leaving my mother and me alone on the couch._

_"So, my step father is being question for the murder of four people." I said trying to make sense of the situation._

_Just then Aunt Jay came in with a grave expression. "Five actually, Sheriff Michael just found another body."_

"Of all the places and people," the woman said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Agent Prentiss?" I greeted after blinking a few times just to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

"May I sit down?" she asked a little unsure.

I pointed to the other swing and nodded. "Sure."

I looked around and saw that the rain had stopped and was now dripping from the trees. "I know that I should probably say sorry about when I was in the interrogation room, but I don't want to say something that I don't mean."

It took a few seconds for her to respond. "It's okay, you weren't entirely wrong earlier, but you weren't entirely right either."

My eyebrows knitted together as she explained. "Everybody's got monsters Katelyn; we just end up slaying them and they go away."

"What if your monster's not gone but hiding instead, and you're scared?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

She studied me, a little surprised at my half confession. "You tell yourself that this monster can't hurt you, not anymore. Even though you feel tired, weak and broken, you're stronger than it. You say that this monster has hurt you enough and you fight him. Remember that it doesn't matter how slowly you go, just don't stop until it's gone. You WILL end up slaying your monster, Katelyn."

"I can't fight my monster when I don't know where it is," I cried out quietly.

"We'll find him, Katelyn." Her tone left me with no choice but to believe her.

"JJ is your "friend'' you were talking about in the interrogation room, right?" It came out as question, even though I was sure she didn't mean it to come out that way.

"Yes, you're correct," I stated.

"I'm glad that we met, although it would've been better under different circumstances," she said honestly.

"Yeah, this isn't the way I planned on meeting my aunt's team," I told her truthfully.

She looked at her watch. "I've got to go. Are you sure that you'll be alright?"

"Yeah, thank you Agent Prentiss," I reassured her.

"Please, call me Emily," she said with a small smile then got off the swing and left.

I found my way back to the foster home I was staying in. Although, I got in trouble, but I didn't really care.

I got to my room when a girl with pink and blue hair came up to me. "You're Katelyn, right?"

"Ye-s-s," I answered hesitantly.

"You've got mail," she said as she handed me an envelope and left closing the door behind her.

I wasn't going to open the letter but curiosity got the better of me. Once I read the letter I felt as though I was going to be sick.

I dialed the number with shaking fingers. "Aunt Jennifer, its Katelyn. I need to see you. It's about Jim and Casey."

I hung up and read the letter over and over again:

_Katelyn,_

_I see that you've made a friend today, Agent Emily Prentiss. It's a surprise to me. I mean I would've thought that you hated her, oh well. How's Jennifer doing these days? You know, now that Will has left and Henry's two years old?_

_Glad to see that you've healed, physically at least. The last time I saw you, you were knocked out. How are the nightmares and the flashbacks? Are they as vivid and real as when they were actually happening, I hope so._

_Look at me getting sidetracked. I have Casey with me; she's very scared, as she should be. I mean look at what I can do to her, to you, to anyone. But the thing is, I don't want her, I want you. So, I'm prepared to do a trade, Casey for you._

_Think about it for me will you? Just don't think too long, because you only have until tomorrow at 11:47pm to be behind the alleyway of the new bar on Mapleway Street downtown, see you soon._

_Oh, if you even bring one cop with you, she's dead._

_-Jim_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's familiar.**_

**Words: 1218**

**Warning: Deals with mature themes (Rape, Sexual and Physical Abuse etc...)**

**Chapter 3**

I was sitting in the interrogation room for the second time in two days. Only this time it was different, sort of.

"Katelyn, you need to tell us everything." My aunt's voice was soft.

"Why? You didn't want to hear about it the first time!" I bitterly snapped at her, regretting it the second the words left my mouth.

"Aunt Jennifer I'm sor-" I tried to apologize but she raised her hand in a motion to stop me.

"No, I deserved that, it's true. But Katelyn, now I really need to know. Anything that you say can help us understand him, and think like him so we can figure out his next move."

"We already know his next move," I mumbled angrily, luckily she didn't hear me.

I sighed and sucked in a deep breath. "Jim became violent very fast, after you guys left. You know the first time he hit me, he didn't even apologize. When he saw the mark, he just laughed and told me that I should respect him. He said that he was king and that's the way it would always be. It was the same thing when I saw him abuse Casey."

I took another deep breath, trying to prepare myself for what I was about to admit.

_I was in the tree house trying to relax when she came in all bruised and swollen. She had the beginning of a black eye and there was dried blood on the side of her shirt. _

_Quickly, I made my way to her and helped her up. "Casey?" _

_"It's not as bad as it looks," she told me as I got the antiseptic to help clean her wounds. _

_She flinched away when I tried touching her arm. "That's bull! Casey, we need to tell someone." _

_She got up, "No Katelyn, we can't! You heard him. I know that you and mom aren't talking and that she doesn't believe you, but she's our mother and I don't want her to get hurt." _

_"I know, but I can't stand to see what he does to you!" I half sobbed. _

_"To us, what he does to us. I know that he does it to you too," she corrected me. _

_I ignored her last sentence. "Casey, he won't be able to do anything if we tell Sheriff Michael. _

_"Okay, we'll go tonight, after he thinks that we're asleep," she said after a minute of thought. _

_"So, you were planning on it, what happened?" Aunt Jennifer asked. _

_"Things didn't go as planned," I replied, grimly. _

_It was 1 o'clock, the time that Casey and I had set, except she wasn't where we said we'd meet. _

_"Casey?" I whispered when I got back in the house. _

_"I've been expecting you. I wondered how long it would take for you to come back for her," the sound of his voice gave me a whole new definition for terrifying. _

_Even in the dim light, I could see him clearly. _

_That's when I saw the blade he was holding against her neck. "Let her go! Take me instead." _

_"No, Katelyn!" She cried out as he released her and grabbed me. _

_My eyes never left Jim's. "Go upstairs. Now!" _

_"No, I'm not leaving you!" she said bravely. _

_"Casey, please," I begged. _

_Jim didn't wait any longer; he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me outside to the shed. _

_"You say anything, they're both dead," he told me before shoving me against the wall and undoing his belt. _

I knew that if I looked into her eyes I would see guilt and pity so I stared at the wall instead.

Just then my senses were pulled back into the interrogation room. "Katelyn," I didn't want to hear it.

"Is that enough for now? I'm tired and I would like to get out of here." I didn't wait for an answer as I bolted for the door.

"You're not doing the trade," she spoke firmly as I made my way to the first floor of the building

"The hell I'm not!" I exclaimed

"Katelyn, I mean it!" She yelled as I ran out the building.

"So do I Aunt Jennifer," I muttered to myself.

I was about to hail a cab when I heard something familiar.

"I'm so sorry, mom," the young girl cried.

It was only one sentence, but the flashback that went with it was so strong I nearly lost my balance.

_"Katelyn, what's wrong? You've been acting strange for the past month or so," my mother asked as she entered my room. _

_"Nothing's wrong mom," I lied. _

_She sighed and touched my cheek. "Oh sweetie, whatever it is, you can tell me." _

_From the corner of my eye, I saw Casey. She gave me a crisp nod and a pleading look. "Mom, I'm going to tell you something that you're not going to want to hear." _

_"I'm so sorry, mom," I said nearly in tears when I finished telling her everything. At first her face was blank and then it morphed into something I did not expect. _

_"How dare you accuse Jim of such horrendous things. I don't know what your problem is but what you just did is not only wrong but sick. He's a good man and what you're accusing him of is not true. I know that you've never really liked him but to say such things is low, even for you," she spat out, venomously. _

_"But mom..," I tried _

_"No, I don't want to hear it. And to think I actually thought that I raised my daughter to be honest," she said angrily and disapprovingly as she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. _

_I collapsed into tears on my pillow and Casey came running in. "It's okay, Katelyn. It'll all be okay." _

_"No, it's not okay! It will never be okay," I told her through my sobs. _

_When she didn't respond, I looked up and saw that tear tracks were now running down her cheeks. "You're right, it will never be okay." _

_"Casey, I don't know how to make it all better. I wish I could," I said miserably. _

_She sniffled, "Katelyn, it's not your fault." _

_"Yes, it is. I'm your older sister, I should be talking to you about boys and what's stylish. I shouldn't be talking to you about having to deal with Jim doing this to you. What kind of a sister am I if I can't even protect you?!" I yelled. _

_"Don't you see you're the only good thing in the world to me? You're the only reason I'm not dead. You're everything I want to be, strong and incredible. You're the only one that can make me smile and laugh without it being fake. You're my hero, my savior and you're my sister." Her voice broke a couple of times and by the end, even more tears were leaking out of her eyes. _

_I couldn't find the words to respond. So instead, I hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear. "Thank you, I love you." _

I made a vow to her that day. I vowed that I would keep her as safe as I could, for as long as I could. I vowed that I would do whatever it took, and I wasn't about to break that vow yet.

**The next chapter will be posted soon. Thanks for reading and please review :)**


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